STATE COLLEGE - Matt Stankiewitch couldn't have scripted it any better.

The Blue Mountain graduate saw his Penn State football career come to an end in storybook fashion Saturday as the Nittany Lions edged Wisconsin 24-21 in overtime.

Not only did Penn State win Stankiewitch's final collegiate game in dramatic fashion, but the Lions' offensive line helped Zach Zwinak rush for a career-best 179 yards against the top-ranked rushing defense in the Big Ten.

"It was awesome to go out like that," Stankiewitch said after the game. "How we went into overtime, and won, it was a testament to our whole season.

"We started off 0-2 and nobody believed in us, but we just kept fighting and persevered. It was a testament to everyone on this team, the character of everyone on this team, the coaching staff and everybody associated with Penn State football."

Stankiewitch was one of 31 seniors honored before the game in an emotional ceremony. As each player's

name was announced, they ran out onto the Beaver Stadium turf through a tunnel of Penn State players and were met by their families, who were waiting for them near the 40-yard line.

Stankiewitch credited his family for his success, saying how important their support and guidance was during his freshman and sophomore seasons, when the 6-foot-3, 301-pounder battled through injury and sickness. Stankiewitch started every game at center over his final two seasons - 25 straight.

For Stankiewitch, who is an intense person on game days, the pre-game ceremony ran a wide range of emotions.

"It was hard not tearing up," said Stankiewitch, who was met on the field by his father Mike, mother Lisa and older brother Michael. "I had to stay focused for the game, and my dad and brother were keeping me focused, but I could see my mom getting a little teary-eyed.

"It was such a special experience running out there and having my family with me, I don't think I'll ever experience something like that again.

"It was a very emotional time. You're happy, you're sad, you're excited, you're nervous, all at the same time. It was a very emotional day in all aspects. I'm glad my parents were a part of it."

The pre-game ceremonies also included a video tribute to the 31 seniors, a card flip that said "Thank You Seniors" by the fans sitting in the East section of the bleachers, and the placement of 2012 on Penn State's ring of championship teams.

That ring includes Penn State's 2008 Big Ten championship team, of which Stankiewitch was a part of during his redshirt season.

"That was awesome," Stankiewitch said of the number unveiling. "I was here for 2008, so there's two years I was a part of that made their mark on this university. To have that experience, to build my character as a person, I wouldn't trade it for anything."

During the game, the play of Penn State's offensive line was a key factor in the Nittany Lions' success.

Penn State rushed the ball 45 times against the Badgers, with Zwinak's 179 yards giving him exactly 1,000 for the season. The line set the tone early, clearing holes for Zwinak on a 15-play, 78-yard drive that resulted in the Lions' first score.

In the second half, Penn State compiled 226 total yards, putting together a pair of 11-play drives that resulted in field goals.

"It's a testament to the offensive line," Stankiewitch said. "We really focused on getting a lot of running yards today. We really focused on that, and if we could do that, we could win the game.

"We knew we had a big challenge coming up. We knew that if we wanted Zack to get 1,000 yards, we really had to do our work.

"We had to be focused. We all had to be clicking on the same page, and be tough up front. We all had to be focused and communicate properly."

Penn State led the game 21-14 in the fourth quarter, but Wisconsin tied the contest and forced overtime on Curt Phillips' 4-yard pass to Jeff Duckworth with 18 seconds left.

In overtime, Penn State took the lead on Sam Ficken's 37-yard field goal. The Nittany Lions' defense held, forcing a field-goal attempt. When Kyle French's 44-yard field goal attempt went wide left, the Penn State bench erupted as if the Nittany Lions had won the national championship.

For a team ineligible to go to a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions, Saturday's game was the Lions' bowl game. The win leaves the Nittany Lions 8-4, something not too many people would have predicted back in August.

"If you would have gave me a piece of paper and told me to write the ending to this story, I couldn't have written it up like that," Stankiewitch said. "It was just an awesome experience. It was an awesome way to go out. To have my family, my close friends from home there and watching me, I couldn't be happier."

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